"I used to disapprove of Filipinos going abroad to work. Why couldn’t they stay and help uplift the condition in the country? Why couldn’t they give up the Scent of Apples and the Great American Dream of leaving the country and becoming American citizens? I guess I was too young to understand why this was happening to my country and my countrymen who I learned to love very deeply."...

"I was dreaming the Filipino dream one time. I wanted a school which would cater to all the needs of my Filipino students. I founded FUNSHINE special education center in Fairview QC, and it later branched out to FUNSHINE preschool in Lagro QC. I was making a difference in the lives of the Filipino special children. But I was never a business tycoon. I have always been a passionate teacher. And I had to help myself too, for me to be able to help these children. Now, I am one of the Filipinos with the Great American Dream. I am one of the Filipinos who set out on their journey to foreign lands to fulfill their dreams. I am one of the Filipinos who have the aspiration of coming to America and earn dollars to realize the Great American Dream. I am one of the Filipinos coming to the United States to uplift their social and financial condition and to help those whom they would leave behind in their own country."...

di naman tayo masisisi dyan eh. Kahit sino na nasa Pinas ngayon, given the opportunity, mangingibangbansa talaga. Ka Uro, think of it this way, tama sila, you can better help our country and our family when we're here.

mam sol,ganda ng comments mo. now i realised na tama din ang sabi ni alan that our country has also done wrong to us. at first i didn't want to admit that. ngayong nakilala kita narealise ko siguro nga tama siya. because if only we had opportunities back in our country, we probably would have stayed. but some of us ran out of options. i now know that if i stayed home, i'ld just be wasting my life. if i can't even provide for my family, how could i help others?

i can understand what u feel. pero pinupunan mo lang ang 4 basic human needs(food, shelter, clothing & love), all of w/c u found there in new zealand instead of here in the philippines, so there's no need to be guilty about it. God bless!

i can understand what u feel. pero pinupunan mo lang ang 4 basic human needs(food, shelter, clothing & love), all of w/c u found there in new zealand instead of here in the philippines, so there's no need to be guilty about it. God bless!

KU: Sir, I have been a fan of yours since you started blogging - but as far as I can remember this is my first comment. Why? siguro brief background muna...

Tulad mo sir, nasa IT rin ako, nga lang I have my own business dito sa Pinas. My wife tried to talk me into migrating into NZ as far back as 2004. It took a while before I even considered looking at a site that describes NZ. But because of her persistence, I started filling out an EOI sa NZIS web site. Pero bago ako sumabak sa isang bagay, pinag-aarlan ko nang mabuti, lalo na at stake e uprooting your family for another country. And one of the sites that I am really immersed is your blog.

But I decided to shelve our EOI since 2005 because I want to give our government (si GMA) a chance to probably jump-start the dire situation in our beloved Pinas, but to no avail (e.g., 2004 election cheating, fertilizer scam, NBN/ZTE scandal). Until last month, I'm still trying to convince myself that maybe I can still contribute in changing the situation in the Philippines even in a small way through my business. But 2 events re-ignited my interest in NZ -- my last trip to Malaysia and Singapore noong last week of June and my sister in-law's unexpected migration to NZ.

Ang laki talaga nang impact nung trip ko sa Malaysia because I never expected an almost 1st world infrastructure from a country who, 20 years ago sent many of their students in some of our best academic institutions to study engineering and science courses.

And one thing that really struck me -- I have not seen a single billboard stating that a certain infrastructure project is sponsored by a governor, their Prime Minister, a mayor, or an MP!! And i came to the conclusion that our neighbor already reached a level of political maturity that in my estimation has left the Philippines behind Malaysia by at most 20-25 years.. Yes, that long, and I am not alone in this estimation of our backwardness -- a friend of mine who works in ADB confided to me early this year na in his estimation, 30 years behind pa nga raw tayo.

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About

Reflections on life, my past and anything under the sun as well as a journal of how it is to live in Aotearoa, "The Land of the Long White Cloud", which is New Zealand, from the viewpoint of a middle class Filipino family. Mga hinagpis, kakwelahan, ka-homesick-an ng isang Pinoy sa lupa ng mga ibong walang pakpak (kiwis) na mahaba ang tuka.

About Me

tipikal na pinoy workng in the IT industry. pero hindi mukhang nerd (that's what you think, sabi naman ng bruha kong anak). may maganda, mabait at napaka-sarap maglutong asawa at isang napakatalinong (mana sa ina), nagdadalagang anak. i've been in IT since the early 80's (tanda na no?). have worked in Saudi Arabia, then in Cal,USA, before finally settling in Auckland in '96.

Living in NZ

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